San Diego  Prosecutors are fighting to keep a man known as the “bolder-than-most” rapist locked up by having him committed as a sexually violent predator after he is paroled next week.

Alvin Ray Quarles, 51, was set to get out of prison on Nov. 16, after serving about half of his 50-year sentence for a string of attacks. But the District Attorney’s Office has initiated a process to keep him committed civilly on the grounds that he suffers from a mental disorder that predisposes him to violent sexual behavior, said prosecutor Wendy Patrick.

Quarles raped women in front of their boyfriends or husbands and sometimes forced couples to have sex at knife point, authorities said. Investigators suspect he was responsible for more than a dozen assaults throughout San Diego in the mid-1980s, although he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of rape, burglary and robbery in four incidents.

He took a plea deal in 1989, getting 48 other charges against him dismissed. Due to the law at the time, Quarles got one day credit for every day he served with good behavior, lessening his time in prison.

On Friday, Quarles entered a denial of the sexually violent predator petition in San Diego Superior Court.

Attorney Gloria Allred (left) consoles rape victim Cynthia Medina (right) who breaks down as she reads her statement to the press condemning the early release of her attacker, Alvin Quarles.
Christian Rodas

Attorney Gloria Allred (left) consoles rape victim Cynthia Medina (right) who breaks down as she reads her statement to the press condemning the early release of her attacker, Alvin Quarles.

Two of his victims and their families watched the brief hearing from courtroom seats. They addressed reporters later alongside high-profile Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred, expressing hope that Quarles won’t be set free.

Cynthia Medina said she was shocked to learn through her own research that Quarles’ parole date was coming up 25 years early. She said she was never notified by a victim advocate about his upcoming release. She then called the District Attorney’s Office, asking if there was anything that could be done to hold him longer.

“I feel that the sentence he has served so far is not long enough,” Medina said. “After all, I pay every day for what he did to me. It never goes away.”

Medina said Quarles entered her hotel room in the middle of the night with a knife, and told her and her boyfriend, “We are going to play some games.”

The victims said they feel deceived by the District Attorney’s Office, led at the time by Ed Miller, which promised that Quarles would be in prison for 50 years.

“Quarles belongs in prison. That was what we were promised. That is what we expected,” said Mary Taylor, who said she was attacked along with her roommate. “It is now up to the DA to get it right this time.”

A statement issued by the District Attorney’s Office said Friday that protecting the community from sexually violent predators is a priority.

“We share the serious concerns voiced today about the public’s safety and the previous state law that unfortunately allowed for this early release,” the statement said. “As a result, we’re working closely with the victims in this case who deserve the peace of mind that this convicted rapist won’t be able to harm anyone in the future.”

Quarles will remain in county jail throughout the petition process.

A hearing is set for Dec. 19, when two state-appointed psychologists who evaluated Quarles will testify. If the judge finds there is enough evidence to go forward with a trial, a jury will then have to decide unanimously if Quarles meets the criteria.

By law, sexually violent predators are committed to a state mental hospital indefinitely, although after a year they have the right to petition for a new hearing to determine whether they still fit the criteria.